Barney and Big Bird have little to fear from Timmy the Tooth, despite the high hopes of the show’s creators.

A cross between “The Muppets” and “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” this endeavors to teach youngsters life’s lessons through story and song, but the dental debacle covers strictly been-here, done-that material.

MCA is using the syndicated television series as a springboard for the subsequent release of a series of sell-through homevideos and merchandising tie-ins that will be backed by a multifaceted marketing campaign.

Five episodes have been taped, all of which will air during the first week, as a way of solidifying the presence of the newly created character. Those same five will be released in homevid at $ 12.98 (suggested retail price).

The Capped Crusader declares toys instead of TV are the order of the day, and the adventure begins.

Using imaginary kiddie equivalents of “Star Trek”-like communicators and beaming process, Timmy and his trusty sidekick, Brush Brush, imagine they’re astronauts and set out to save a space station that has been occupied by the inane Cavity Goon and Miss Sweety. (Goon surfaces in future segs as a nemesis of Timmy’s — a sort of kiddie Moriarty to his Sherlock Holmes.)

Naturally, there’s a lesson beneath all this niceness, which prompts the characters to frequently break out in song to celebrate — and communicate — the moral.

Each episode will feature three original tunes, all of which will make their way onto a soundtrack album as another tier in the marketing campaign.

Viewers will find plenty of similarities to well-known series in the genre, such as those offered by Jim Henson or Sid & Marty Krofft.

Although the puppet work is first-rate and the colorful set design is visually pleasing, it is likely not enough to help the series — or the vidcassettes — topple the genre’s current leaders.